One Fine Mess
by Barbie Shoes
Summary: Regina's gut twisted with an agonizing pull and, for just a moment, she thought she might need to take up the same position as the woman crouched before her. "You're pregnant?" she whispered grimly. Emma's only response was to turn and retch into the toilet again. — Swan Queen, magic!pregnancy
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: So this idea initially came to me as a one shot, but I felt like it could continue and as I wrote I did come up with some ideas for future chapters. So, I am marking it complete for now, but if there is interest and inspiration I may continue this story in the future. So be sure to let me know if you like it! And big big big kisses to my darling michaelawaffles for the edits, you are amazing bae!_**

* * *

A sound unfamiliar to the mansion roused Regina in the middle of the night. The pained gasps of someone dry heaving carried down the hall, and immediately she jolted upright in bed, springing to attention at the worry that her son had fallen ill. Another heave, another gasp, and it became clear that the poor soul was no young boy, but a grown woman. Realizing Henry was fine, Regina tried to be annoyed by the disturbance, set on reminding her boorish tenant tomorrow that _some people_ in this house are trying to rest, thank you very much.

Pillow fluffed and neatly tucked back beneath her head, Regina closed her eyes, intent on salvaging what remained of the night. A pathetic whimper sailed through the quiet house and, much to her dismay, Regina found that Emma Swan being the culprit did little to dissuade her concern. Begrudgingly, or at least partially so, she lifted herself out of bed and switched on the lamp, allowing her eyes just a moment to adjust before trudging down the hall. Emma did have a tendency for saving Regina's life; she could at least see what was wrong with the cumbersome fool in return.

The door was open, so Regina didn't bother to announce herself, striding into the bathroom like it was her god given right. Wrapped almost tenderly around the porcelain bowl was the expected pale body with messy golden locks. The woman who now slept each night in the room one door to the left of Regina's own, a pain in her ass and the bane of her existence. The thought to trace a comforting hand over the girl's back crossed Regina's mind, though that would be far too familiar a gesture, especially after... Everything else.

Instead, Regina stood up a little taller, despite her companion's attention being turned elsewhere. Emma really didn't deserve any sympathy right now, not when it seemed clear that she had brought this upon herself, and so Regina hardened her tone as she reprimanded, "If you're going to live here, you're going to have to learn to be more mindful of others. Binge drinking is no excuse to cause such a ruckus in the middle of the night." Hands snapped reflexively to her hips when she received no reply. "What if Henry were to find you like this?"

"Fuck you, Regina," Emma groaned, twisting just enough so that she wasn't speaking directly into the toilet bowl. "I'm not drunk."

"Is it the flu?" Regina's asked, the edges of her tone softening a bit with concern for this woman's well-being. Emma woefully shook her head.

"Well, what is it then?" Regina snapped a little more harshly than intended, finding sympathy difficult to muster at this late hour. "Because I swear to god, if you tell me that you are pregnant–"

She stopped short when terrified, wide eyes turned to face her, watching the color drain from Emma's already grey complexion. Regina's gut twisted with an agonizing pull and, for just a moment, she thought she might need to take up the same position as the woman crouched before her.

"You're pregnant?" she whispered grimly. Emma's only response was to turn and retch into the toilet again.

Regina told herself she had no right to be hurt. It was none of her business what Emma did with her time – or her body. Just because Regina was content to play house with her son and his mother didn't mean Emma would be satiated by the same at all.

"Who's the father, then?" Regina demanded, not caring that it shouldn't concern her, feeling bitter that their family hadn't been enough for Emma. She needed to know, even if there wasn't any answer that would alleviate the rock now settled firmly in her gut. Someone had infiltrated their domestic bubble, bursting it wide open to make room for themselves. Emma wasn't the only one who would be stuck for the rest of her life with the imbecile responsible for this. Regina would, too. Their son would. Their _family._

Dear god, she caught herself hoping, please don't let it be the pirate. Please, _please,_ not the pirate.

"I..." Emma stuttered, finally turning away from the bowl, catching her breath as she wiped her mouth. "I don't know."

"You don't _know_?" Regina gasped indignantly. "How many _possibilities_ could there _be_?" She didn't understand when Emma could have found the time for so many trysts that she wouldn't _know _the father. She didn't understand why. She didn't understand.

"None!" Emma shouted back, then flinched, both women falling silent as they listened for signs that their son had been roused by the commotion. The entire point of this arrangement had been to give him a stable living environment, and that didn't include waking up to his mothers fighting in the middle of the night. All remained quiet and they sighed in relief, Emma finally rising from the ground as they resumed their conversation in hushed tones.

"Ms. Swan," Regina hissed, "truly need I remind you of the birds and the bees?"

"Don't 'Ms. Swan' me!" Emma spat back with equal disdain. "I'm serious, Regina. The only person I've been with even remotely recently is..." she lost her bluster, casting her gaze sheepishly to the ground as she muttered, "Well, you know." Regina did know. She knew exactly what Emma meant, but they never spoke of it. And they certainly wouldn't now.

"Rumpelstiltskin," Regina blurted out after a brief, awkward silence. Emma stared at her incredulously. "No not... Not that. Not the father. But I am certain that you are no Blessed Virgin Mary. Rumple will be able to help, I'm sure of it."

"Fine," Emma conceded, more readily than Regina expected. Then again, it was the middle of the night and she just spent god knows how long getting sick. Perhaps she was just exhausted. "We can go see him in the morning. Goodnight, Regina."

But Regina wouldn't be sleeping much at all the rest of that night. She felt like someone scooped out her insides and forced her to swallow them, leaving a painful lump in the back of her throat, in her chest, in the pit of her stomach. Hollow, yet ready to explode.

She couldn't let this ruin their carefully constructed life, already so precariously balanced. Regina wouldn't let this be what brought everything crashing down. They would go see Rumple in the morning. She would figure this out.

* * *

"We have a problem," Regina announced curtly, storming into Rumpelstiltskin's shop with all the subtlety of a hurricane as Emma tried in vain to keep up behind her.

"And a good morning to you as well, your majesty," he replied with a saccharine grin. Regina ignored his sarcasm, not exactly willing to play nice, but also careful not to do or say anything that might cause him to immediately turn them away. This whole situation had her entirely on edge, and her lack of sleep didn't make it any easier for her to remain courteous.

"Emma's pregnant," she said through gritted teeth, hoping to convey the severity of the situation without having to say more.

That, clearly, was not what Rumpelstiltskin expected to hear, and Regina swore she saw a momentary flash of hurt in his eyes. She wondered if it pained him to know that Emma's second child was unquestionably fathered by someone other than his son, knowing the man had gone to his grave still loving a woman who had now obviously moved on. Poor fool, Regina scoffed to herself as she thought of Neal, ignoring the strings of empathy that tugged on her heart at his plight. Rumple, of course, gave nothing more of his feelings away than faint surprise, infuriatingly aloof as ever.

"Do I offer my congratulations or condolences?" he asked Emma directly.

"That depends," Regina interjected, outwardly ignoring the other woman's vexed expression, uncertain if it was the interruption or her comment that sparked it. "We need you to tell us who the father is."

"My, aren't you the busy girl?" Rumple remarked with cavalier superiority. Emma visibly bristled.

"Not that it would normally be _any_ of your business," she spat, hormones apparently making it that much easier to ruffle her feathers, "but no. I've been the exact _opposite_ of busy, actually. I haven't been with a man since..." Emma paused, becoming flustered as she attempted to calculate. "It's been a long time, okay?" she finally gave up with a dramatic sigh.

"That _is_ quite puzzling, now isn't it?" Rumple agreed, still a bit snide. "I do love a good mystery. Let us see what we can uncover."

Both women watched in anticipation as the man behind the counter retrieved a crystal ball, of all things, and made his way around the barrier to Emma before setting the item down on the display case next to them. "May I?" he inquired, gesturing towards Emma's still-flat stomach. The woman's eyes flicked nervously to Regina, who gave a quick, subtle nod of encouragement, silently reveling in the way Emma had turned to her – trusted _her – _for even this one small support.

Rumple's palm pressed gently against Emma's abdomen, and both women recoiled instinctively at the touch. The very idea of anyone putting their hands on Emma was enough to make Regina's skin crawl, but she forced herself to shrug the feeling away. Clearly, someone else had touched Emma Swan far more intimately than this. Regina was going to have to get used to that.

With one hand still resting on Emma's stomach, Rumple placed his other on the crystal ball and turned his attention towards the magical item. Whatever he saw inside the orb remained invisible to Regina, so she focused her attention on Emma, who still appeared wildly uncomfortable with the intimate contact. Like she might take off his arm at any moment. Regina offered a comforting smile, as if to say should the man try anything funny that she would sever his limb herself. Emma relaxed a little and Regina's smile turned inward, proud she could have this effect on the woman.

The elation was cut short when Rumple let out an amused cackle. While Regina couldn't see his face, the fact that he found anything about this situation humorous at all sent a chill down her spine.

"Why, Regina," he sneered, retracting both hands as he turned to face her. "All these years, and I never knew you had a taste for the fairer sex."

It was all Regina could do to suppress the urge to blush. It's not like this was news to Emma, obviously, but something in the pit of her gut that said that the timing of his discovery couldn't be just a coincidence.

"That is because it was not, and _is not_, any of your business," she snapped back with all the indignation she could muster. "Nor is it in any way relevant to the current problem."

"Indeed, your preference is of little concern to me," he replied, unfazed. "But it is most certainly relevant."

Regina shook her head in confusion, growing more perplexed as she watched the other woman's eyes go wide.

"Oh, do not tell me..." Emma drawled, words heavy with the weight of having seen and heard too many ridiculous things for one lifetime.

Rumple's serpentine smile only grew at the plea. "It would seem that congratulations are in order to you _both._"

His final statement hit Regina like a punch in the gut. She felt faint. There was no way what he was saying could be true. She didn't have that... that _ability. _She couldn't be the one responsible for this. Emma would be furious. It couldn't be her.

"That's impossible!" Regina shrieked, quite nearly on the verge of panicking. "It's... It's preposterous!"

"What's preposterous is the Enchanted Forest's lack of sexual education," Rumple sighed. "Let's have a little lesson, shall we?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "I am in no mood for–"

"Fill in the blank," Rumple cut her off. "Magic is about what?"

There was no way Regina was going to go along with his game. "This is ridiculous," she huffed, certain it was just another of Rumpelstiltskin's lies.

"Emotion," Emma jumped in, begrudgingly humoring the man when Regina refused. They glared at one another briefly, each silently accusing the other for their lack of solidarity in this moment. "Magic is about emotion."

"Well done, Emma," Rumple cheered condescendingly. "A+ for you. Question two: What part of the body is most involved in the expulsion of magic?"

He stared at Regina pointedly with an expression that said, "You might as well answer now because I could wait here all day." Regina rolled her eyes again.

"I suppose the _hands_," she sneered, placing her own petulantly upon her hips.

"Excellent!" Rumple clapped sardonically. "And now, for extra credit: How might one woman go about pleasing another woman in the bedroom?"

Suddenly, the dots connected. As much as those words coming out of his mouth made her cringe, and as much as the question felt entirely inappropriate, Regina was stunned silent. She gaped at her hands in utter disbelief.

"You're actually saying I got knocked up because Regina finger fucked me!?" Emma's sharp tone and crude language pulled Regina out of her haze.

"Emma!" she gasped, mortified by the blatant admission of what they'd done, of what they could barely acknowledge even in the privacy of the home they now shared. Emma had the good sense to look at least slightly apologetic for her outburst.

"It would appear so," Rumple replied, doing little to hide his amusement over their predicament.

They weren't even a couple, Regina agonized, the weight of dread settling over her chest. It had just been one night. One lonely, lustful night that was never supposed lead to anything more. One night. That's what Emma said. What were they going to tell people? What were they going to say to their son?

"Regina and I are going to have a baby," Emma said again, as if repeating the idea aloud might help her comprehend it.

"A daughter, in fact," Rumple offered smugly. "Given the lack of a Y chromosome, the child will undoubtedly be female."

"A daughter?" Regina whispered to herself, the specificity making everything suddenly very sharply real. She had often wondered what it might be like to have a little girl. Images of baby dolls and tea parties and dark curly hair tied up in bows flashed through Regina's mind. Or maybe she would prefer comic books and climbing trees like her brother, running away as Regina chased after with a comb in her hand. The possibilities of who she might be were many, but she was very, very real.

"Oh, so now the rules of science apply again?" Emma's sarcastic comment brought Regina back to the present again. She didn't miss the way the girl's hand came up to steady her stomach, nor the shuddering breath that followed. Of course Emma would try to mask physical weakness with bravado.

"Sheriff, you're looking a bit green," Rumple said, sending Regina a caustic grin as he added, "Not that I blame you."

"Save it, imp," Regina snapped, hoping the man couldn't sense her fear that she might indeed be the cause. She focused on Emma, wanting so badly to reach out and touch her in comfort, though unsure it would be well-received. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Emma insisted, inhaling deeply through her nose again. "This morning sickness is just really kicking my ass."

"The restroom is down the hall, dearie," Rumple stated with a distinct lack of sympathy. "If you're going to be ill, I'd request you do it there."

Emma looked as though she were about to refuse, until she was forced to choke back a heave. "Excuse me a minute," she wheezed as she fled down the hall.

Regina debated whether or not she was expected to follow. She went to check on Emma the night before, when she was merely Regina's sick roommate. Now, she was the woman who carried Regina's child, and she thought perhaps that made it her duty. Then again, it's not like Emma was her lover. In the end, Regina determined the woman would likely rather be left without an audience anyway.

"I have to ask," Regina began as Rumple secured the crystal ball back in its case. "I have light magic, but I also have dark magic. The baby, is she..."

"Worry not," Rumple replied, "the child is a product of light magic."

There was relief in hearing those words, but Regina still worried. There was so much darkness lurking in her past, in her heart, and even her magic. The thought that she might pass any shred of that on to her innocent daughter was terrifying.

"How can you be sure?" she asked in a fearful whisper.

Without missing a beat, Rumple replied, "Because you're in love with her."

Regina's stomach somersaulted upon hearing those words said out loud. "Emma?" she huffed. "I most certainly am not."

But it was a bold face lie and Regina knew it. She tried to ignore it, tried to force the feelings away, but she was. She was absolutely in love with a woman who hadn't the slightest clue. A woman who most certainly wanted nothing from her besides a roof, a co-parent, a one-time bed warmer and an occasional friend. Just five years and she would have been free, forced only to see Emma on holidays and family occasions. Now they were starting at square one and Regina resigned herself to the fact that she was doomed to never be rid of this woman - to spend eternity so very close to her, yet just out of reach.

Of course, Rumple saw through her lie just as easily as he'd seen through her charade. "Magic _is_ about emotion Regina," he reiterated matter-of-factly. "And it wasn't Emma's magic that got her pregnant. Point of fact, she seems rather nauseated by the very notion that _you_ were the one who caused this."

That stung. Regina felt the blush that had begun at the base of her spine spreading up her back and chest. He was being cruel and he knew it, using Regina's insecurity against her. She gasped sharply at the sudden pain in her chest, swallowing the lump forming in her throat. He'd landed a solid blow but Regina wouldn't let him see it, channeling her pain into anger. "Or maybe she's freaking out because the impossible just became possible and resulted in a child that nobody wanted!"

"Hey!" Emma's enraged voice at the door caused Regina's mood to shift immediately from anger back to dread. She turned to face the other woman, Emma standing with one hand placed protectively over her abdomen and a deep scowl on her face. "Don't talk about my kid like that."

"_Our _kid," Regina corrected, old heartache mixing with the new. "She is _our _child, Emma."

"Yeah? Well maybe you should fucking try acting like it." Emma stormed past them and out the front door. This time Regina did not hesitate a moment before following, sparing not even a nod in Rumple's direction as she fled.

"Emma, wait!" Regina cried out before jogging to catch up, surprised at how far ahead of her the woman was. "Emma, please, I'm sorry!"

Finally close enough to reach her, Regina softly grabbed Emma's shoulder and encouraged her to turn around. The stiff urgency immediately left Emma's body and she deflated. Regina's chest constricted as the girl turned to face her with angry tears still burning down her pale cheeks.

"I'm just getting the hang of this 'motherhood' thing with Henry, you know?" Emma sobbed. "I don't even know how to begin taking care of a baby. All I have are the memories you gave me, but who says I can actually do this? I just," she choked and sniffled again, "I don't want to do it alone."

"You won't," Regina told her, fervently wiping away the woman's tears and vowing that she would stay by Emma's side for the rest of her life if needed, no matter how much it pained her. "I promise you won't have to. We will do it together."

"You have to want her. Okay?" Emma pleaded. "She can't _ever_ be unwanted."

Suddenly, Regina understood exactly what she said wrong - how her words must have sounded to the little girl deep inside of Emma, who never had a family or a home to call her own, and who repeatedly lost hope of ever being wanted or belonging anywhere.

"I do, Emma," Regina said firmly. "I want her, I promise you. I only meant that we weren't looking for this. But now that it's happened, I wouldn't take it back." The truth of her own words sunk in as she spoke them, and she realized just how badly she desired to be a mother to this little girl. _Their daughter_. Throwing caution to the wind, she wrapped her arms around Emma's waist, pulling the woman close and whispering into her hair, "I want her. I want her so _very_ much."

Emma nodded her understanding into Regina's shoulder, gripping her back fiercely and holding on for a long moment until her breathing evened out. When at last Emma released her hold, it was with a sheepish smile as she wiped at the drying streaks on her face.

"Sorry," she murmured with an embarrassed chuckle. "I guess I'm a mess of hormones these days."

"It's quite alright, dear," Regina smiled tenderly, causing Emma's grin to widen.

"I should probably get to the station," Emma dawdled awkwardly. "I'll... see you at home?"

Regina nodded her agreement and before she could comprehend what was happening, Emma leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss at the corner of her mouth. Regina's stomach fluttered almost painfully, and her heart felt like it might explode.

"Thank you, Regina," Emma said shyly as she slowly backed away, turning to face Regina at the last second. "I, uh," she stumbled, "I'm glad, you know. That it's you."

Stunned by the sentiment and still reeling from Emma's kiss, Regina could only nod and smile gratefully in response. Emma shrugged, still grinning timidly as she tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear before turning and walking away.

This was one fine mess, for certain. Regina sighed, caressing the spot where Emma's lips touched hers. It was an absolute mess, and Regina was petrified to realize just how much she wanted it all.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: I am beyond thrilled with how much people took to the first chapter of this story and that so many people wish to see it continued! Your excitement makes me excited to write, so thank you for all the reviews. I have a certain flashback planned for next chapter, so if you're still excited be sure to let me know!_

_Huge, epic thanks to michaelawaffles for editing again. She had her work cut out for her this chapter so thank you for helping me make it the very best it can be!_

* * *

Regina watched in abject horror and morbid fascination as Emma shoveled forkful after forkful of maple syrup-drenched pancakes into her mouth. She was on her second stack and her hunger seemed insatiable.

"You _are_ aware that when they say you're eating for two," Regina began, lips curled in distaste, "the second person is _the baby_ and not a lumberjack, yes?"

"Hilarious," Emma deadpanned around a tremendous mouthful, swallowing the food with an appreciative groan. "I haven't been able to keep anything down in weeks. I'm starving."

The ferocity with which Emma devoured her meal was entirely savage and ill-mannered. But, perhaps worst of all, Regina actually found the entire scene incredibly... _endearing_. Never in her life would she have imagined she would be so enamored by the sight of someone sitting cross-legged at the table, hunched over a plate of food and unabashedly licking syrup off her fork.

Oh, how she detested being in love with Emma Swan.

"Fair enough," Regina said, "but don't come crying to me after she's born and it's more than baby weight you're trying to work off."

Emma seemed to consider that, pausing mid-chew to cast a sideways glance at her meal. A moment later she simply shrugged, diving headlong into another mouthful. Regina resisted the infuriating urge to grin at the woman's wild abandon over a plate of pancakes. More than anything, she was relieved to see Emma had a healthy appetite again.

About a month had passed since their visit to Rumpelstiltskin, placing Emma in her fourteenth week of pregnancy. It had been like magic the moment she hit the second trimester and Emma's morning sickness all but vanished, much to the relief of both women. But now there was a new dilemma at hand.

"You know, we're going to have to start telling people soon," Regina began cautiously. "You're starting to show."

"I am not!" Emma huffed indignantly, placing a hand on her tiny belly. It was true that there wasn't much to see yet, though she did look a bit like she'd just taken full advantage of an 'all you can eat' buffet.

"If you want to keep telling yourself that _that's_ all pancake," Regina gestured towards the little bump, "be my guest. But people are going to start noticing soon, and I am not comfortable lying to Henry."

"Henry," Emma groaned, propping her head up in her hand. "I still have no idea what to tell him about all this."

Regina agonized over this very predicament since the moment Rumple told them the baby was hers. She certainly didn't want to explain the concept of a one-night stand or the momentary passion between two adults to her son, but they couldn't let him think it was anything more than it was. That simply wouldn't be fair to Henry.

"We tell him the truth," Regina said, without room for question. Emma visibly cringed, but didn't argue. "I am not looking forward to this any more than you are but he is old enough to understand, and he deserves to know exactly what is – or rather _is not_ – between us."

There was always part of Regina that felt pained whenever she had to verbally acknowledge the unrequited state of her feelings. It was the same part that always hoped, ever so feebly, that Emma might just refute her words and tell her she was wrong.

"You're right," Emma sighed, as Regina expected she would. "We'll tell him today, when he gets home from school."

* * *

The air in the room was tense as the two mothers waited for their son to arrive home. This wasn't going to be easy to explain, and there was no way to know how their son might react. Both women sprung to attention at the sound of little feet running up the walk.

"Henry," Regina called as soon as they heard the front door slam. "Would you please join Emma and me in the living room?"

"Hey, moms," Henry said, sloughing his book bag onto the floor. "What's up?"

"Take a seat, kid," Emma replied nervously. "Your mom and I need to talk to you about something."

"Is everyone okay?" Henry asked, immediately picking up on the anxious trepidation in Emma's voice. "Did someone else get hurt? Is there another bad guy we need to defeat?"

"Everyone is fine, dear," Regina assured, gently guiding the boy until he was seated on the couch next to her. "What we need to discuss with you is a bit... complicated."

"More complicated than being related to every fairy tale character ever?" Henry joked in an attempt to ease his mothers' combined tension. Emma and Regina shared a knowing look, one that always seemed to frustrate their son when he couldn't decipher what they were thinking.

"Yes," Regina continued. "Something happened, between your mother and I–"

"You're not moving out, are you?" Henry interrupted, turning to address Emma. Regina couldn't help but feel slightly victorious that her son specified 'you' and not 'we'. A small part of her still sometimes feared Henry might choose Emma over her, were it ever a choice he needed to make. "I really like having you here. _Both _of you."

"I'm not going anywhere. You won't get rid of me that easily," Emma said with a wink, making Henry smile and relax again.

"Well, what then? Are you guys dating or something?" he asked flippantly. Regina's heart jumped to her throat at the thought, caught off guard by her son's unexpected, yet completely valid, question.

"N-no," she stumbled gracelessly. Ignoring the confused look from the woman seated across the room, she pressed dutifully forward. "We are not a couple. But something did happen, _once_," she emphasized strongly, taking a steadying breath before dropping the bombshell. "And that something has resulted in... a pregnancy."

Henry scrunched his face in confusion, looking so much like Emma in that moment that it made Regina's heart clench inside her chest. He glanced back and forth between them several times. "Whose?" he finally asked. Emma guiltily raised her hand and Henry's eyes lit up. "I'm going to be a big brother?"

"Yeah," Emma grinned, nerves visibly dissipating upon seeing his unrestrained excitement. She lovingly ran a hand over her small belly. "You're going to have a little sister."

"Awesome!" Henry fist-pumped the air enthusiastically. If nothing else positive came from this painfully awkward conversation, it was a relief to know Henry wasn't upset at the prospect of having a younger sibling. Neither of his mothers would ever want him to feel like he was being replaced, or like he wasn't enough. "But wait," he stopped, looking puzzled again, "what's that have to do with Mom? And who's the baby's dad?"

Mimicking Emma, it was now Regina who tentatively raised her hand. "That would be me."

For several long, awkward moments, Henry simply stared, glancing between his two mothers with his mouth gaping open as he processed the surprising admissions. Regina waited patiently but clenched one fist against her leg, wishing Emma was close enough that she could grab her hand for comfort. Emma always made her feel safe.

"_You two_ made a baby," Henry asked slowly once he finally connected the dots, "together?"

Both women nodded diffidently.

"But..." he shook his head, "_how_?"

"Trust me, kid," Emma chuckled dryly, "we could explain it to you the way Rumpelstiltskin explained it to us, but I think knowing the details of how your parents made a baby would spark visuals that could scar you for the rest of your life."

"Gross," Henry winced, apparently scarred enough by the very notion.

"Magic, is the short answer," Regina explained, noticing a worried look pass over her son's face. "Good magic," she amended quickly. "Light magic created this child."

Henry was silent for a long moment and Regina's stomach tied itself in painful knots as she observed her son. He'd been so excited about Emma having a baby but what if he rejected Regina's involvement? He might think it was some sort of evil trap. He might simply believe she wasn't good enough to have tainted the savior this way. Of course Henry loved her, she knew that, but trusting her was an entirely different matter. She had no idea how much of his trust she had earned.

"Okay, cool," he finally said, flooding Regina with relief. "I mean, kind of weird, but cool. It sort of ties us all together, you know? I'm related to Emma, she's related to the baby, the baby's related to you, and you're my mom. I think she'll make us a complete family."

Regina felt like she could cry hearing her son's words and, judging by the sniffles coming from across the room, she wasn't the only one. In fact, Emma was already battling the fat tears that rolled down her cheeks. Internally, Regina fought against her desire to take the woman into her arms. No matter how many times Emma got like this – and over the past month it had happened plenty – it always made Regina's heart ache in the most unpleasantly affectionate way.

"Momma, are you okay?" Henry asked uncertainly, looking slightly uncomfortable by the outburst of emotion from the generally stoic woman.

"I'm fine," Emma squeaked. "It's just," she clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle a sob, "that was really beautiful."

Henry turned back to Regina, looking thoroughly perplexed.

"Pregnancy hormones," Regina explained. "They affect every woman differently. In the case of your mother," she smirked, needling Emma lightly, "they turn her into a blubbering idiot whenever she so much as knocks over a glass of water."

"That happened _one time,_" Emma huffed, making Regina grin at having gotten exactly the rise she wanted out of her. They may be living together, parenting together, and having a baby together, but no matter how in love with Emma she might be, they would always feel the need to antagonize one another just a bit.

"You guys sound like an old married couple," Henry rolled his eyes and then frowned. "Wait, _are you _going to get married?"

This is exactly what Regina had been afraid of – her son's idealistic notions of True Love and family. "No, Henry," she patiently explained again. "Emma and I care for one another very much, but we don't share those type of feelings."

"Yeah," Henry snorted sarcastically, eying them both with suspicion, "okay."

Regina groaned internally, knowing there was nothing she could say to sway the boy's thoughts. It's not like he wasn't half right, anyway. She supposed only time would make him see her unfortunate reality.

* * *

A few days passed after they talked to Henry, and the boy's enthusiasm only seemed to mount with time. By now he was suggesting names – though none they could actually consider – and offering to babysit so Emma and Regina would be able to "go out". He didn't say, "on a date," though the implication was clear. While she didn't want to feed his fantasies, Regina mused that perhaps a night out wouldn't be so bad. After all, taking care of a newborn around the clock was a lot of work, more than Emma could hope to grasp until she experienced it for herself. One night away could be a much-needed break for them both. It wouldn't be a date, of course, but it would be worth it to make Emma smile.

Regina wondered when she had become such a hopeless sap.

Henry's enthusiasm over his baby sister was heartwarming, though at times exhausting. Taking care of her son, while immeasurably rewarding, was challenging enough. But now she also had Emma to tend to, because god knows Regina wasn't going to depend on the woman to take care of her own health while carrying _their _baby. After a particularly hectic day at the office, it had been all Regina could do to drag herself up the stairs before collapsing into bed.

Which is why she found herself feeling especially annoyed upon being gently shaken awake in the middle of the night.

"Regina," she barely registered Emma's small voice, "I'm bleeding."

"There are bandages in the medicine cabinet," the tired woman grumbled back.

"No, Regina," Emma said again, and this time the urgency in her tone was clear. "I'm _bleeding. _I think something might be wrong with the baby."

Regina shot up in bed, instantly wide awake. Her stomach clenched in cold panic but one look at Emma's terrified and tear streaked face, and Regina knew she had to be the one to hold it together right now. She swallowed her fear, packing it up in the neat little box where she kept all the messy things she didn't want to feel. The box that, unfortunately, could not seem to contain the one thing she wished to feel least of all.

"Go get some pants on," Regina instructed evenly, because of course Emma was wearing only her underwear. "I'll talk to Henry and then we're going to the hospital. Alright?"

Emma nodded but sobbed as a fresh flood of tears spilled over her cheeks.

"I can't lose her, Regina."

"I know." Regina gently stroked the woman's hair as she spoke. "Everything is going to be fine. We are _not_ going to lose her."

She wasn't sure if she said it more for Emma or herself. There was no way either of them could know if what she said was true but Emma needed to hear it, and Regina needed to believe it in order to stay strong for Emma. This baby and their family – however unconventional it may be – meant everything to Regina. It might not be perfect but, in it's way, it was everything she ever wanted.

Quickly throwing on her slacks and cardigan from the previous day, Regina hustled down the hall to their son's room. She hated having to wake him, and to worry him, but there wasn't time to wait for someone else to get here and it wouldn't be right to just leave him alone.

"Henry," she softly rubbed his back to wake him. "Henry, sweetie, I need you to wake up and listen to me."

"Mom?" he mumbled sleepily. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want you to worry," she explained, ever calm despite the torrent inside her, "but I need to take Emma to the hospital right away."

"Is she okay?" Henry asked anxiously. "Is the baby okay?"

"That's what we are going to find out," Regina replied, ignoring the way her heart sank when she was unable to assure her son that yes, his mother and the baby were perfectly fine. "I want you to call David. He will come stay with you until we get back. Understand?"

Henry nodded as Emma appeared in the doorway, still looking like a frightened doe and making Regina's heart throb. There was nothing she could do to fix this for her, and there was nothing worse than that helpless feeling of being unable to comfort the woman she cared for so deeply. Emma's sorrowful expression seemed to have a similar effect on Henry as the boy leapt from his bed to wrap his arms around her.

"I love you, Momma," he said encouragingly, and Emma actually smiled just a little.

"Love you too, kid," she replied. "Everything is going to be fine." She looked to Regina, who nodded her confirmation again at what they both knew very well was more hope than fact. "We'll call you as soon as we know anything, okay?" Henry nodded, and with a quick round of kisses, his mothers left.

Emma was quiet in the car and even quieter still as they waited to be seen in the examination room. Regina desperately wished she could think of anything helpful to say but all she could seem to manage were sympathetic looks each time Emma caught her eye. This baby wasn't even meant to exist. Now the thought of life without her was unbearable for them both.

"This is all my fault," Emma said woefully, staring straight ahead. "I put off making the appointment and now something is wrong."

"This is _not_ your fault, Emma," Regina said firmly. "Whatever is happening would have happened regardless. And we don't even know for sure yet that anything's wrong." Regina tried to comfortingly stroke the woman's hair again but Emma jerked away self deprecatingly. The rejection stung but Regina pushed the pain aside. Emma's feelings were more important to her right now. "Don't berate yourself for this."

Before Emma could respond, Dr. Whale entered the room carrying a small electronic device with a sort of wand attached to it by a cord. "Alright, Emma," he said, "this is a Fetal Doppler. I'm going to use it to check for the baby's heartbeat. Would you mind lifting your shirt for me?"

Emma complied, gasping quietly as the doctor liberally applied cold gel to her abdomen and pressed the wand to her skin. Regina felt delicate fingers press into her forearm and looked down to see Emma's hand blindly searching for her own. She smiled ruefully at the gesture, understanding now that it wasn't her touch Emma had rejected before, but the idea that she deserved to be consoled. Opening her palm, Regina laced their fingers together, running her thumb soothingly over the back of Emma's hand when the girl tightened her grip. It wasn't much but it was at least something she could do.

For a moment the room was silent, save for the static of the machine, and Regina was almost certain Emma was holding her breath. Dr. Whale moved the device painfully slow as he sought out a heartbeat, and a lump began to form in Regina's throat. The fear she'd held at bay began leaking out with each quiet second she stood there, willing her daughter to be alive. Just when she was certain she couldn't take one more second of this dreadful anticipation, a loud whooshing noise suddenly filled the room.

"There it is," Dr. Whale said victoriously, and Emma immediately burst into tears again.

"She's okay?" Emma asked with desperate hope.

"We can run a couple more tests to be sure," Dr. Whale replied, "but she's certainly got a strong heartbeat. A little spotting during pregnancy _can_ be perfectly normal."

Emma buried her face in Regina's shoulder as she sobbed her relief. Several tears finally escaped Regina's eyes as well at the good news, and her breath caught in her chest. Right now, the sound of their daughter's heartbeat filling the room was the most beautiful music Regina had ever heard.

Dr. Whale began to remove the wand and Emma's head shot up. "Wait, don't take it away yet," she pleaded, and the doctor complied. "Regina, get out your phone and make a recording," Emma implored with eager elation. Regina's heart swelled at seeing the earnest joy that had returned to the girl's beautiful green eyes. She didn't even have the energy to berate herself for her feelings right now; all she could do was smile and bask in their relief and Emma's excitement.

They had been recording for less than a minute when Snow White suddenly came bursting into the room, startling all three occupants.

"Emma! Are you okay?" she asked urgently.

"I'm fine," Emma replied with alarm. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Snow didn't respond, instead staring blankly at the scene before her for several long moments. The sound of the Fetal Doppler. Regina holding Emma's hand. Emma's tiny swollen belly. The woman's brow furrowed deeply and the scrutiny made Regina feel like she really ought to take back her hand. But Emma seemed intent to hold on, and Regina didn't have the heart to let her go no matter her own discomfort.

"Are you..." Snow shook her head dumbly. "You're pregnant?"

"Surprise?" Emma said with a grimace and a guilty shrug.

"That it certainly is," Snow replied breathily. "Not an unwelcome one, of course, but... When were you planning on telling us?"

"Soon," Emma hurriedly assured her. "We were going to tell you soon."

"_We_?" Snow gasped somewhat excitedly, making Regina cringe. There would be no easing into this conversation, apparently. "Who's the father?"

"Um," Emma shifted uncomfortably, "that's kind of a long story but... It's Regina."

Snow sighed with a dramatic eye roll. "Emma, it's the middle of the night. This isn't funny."

"She isn't joking," Regina snapped defensively and, judging by Snow's suddenly wide eyes and parted lips, the point had been made.

Dr. Whale let out a snort.

"Oh," he guffawed, "I would have _paid_ to see that!"

Regina bristled hotly. She did not appreciate being treated like a spectacle, especially for the sake of some perverted male fantasy that would distort a memory she held very dear and turn it into something cheap and disgusting. Her life and, more importantly, her family, were not a punch line nor fodder for this scumbag's pornographic musings.

"Doctor," she bit harshly, her severity dissolving the smile right off the man's face, "could you give us a minute, _please_?" Her words were cordial, though her tone made it clear that it was in his very best interests to make himself scarce immediately. Emma squeezed her hand encouragingly as Dr. Whale fled, and Regina relaxed a little as she focused on the feeling of soft fingers woven between her own. No way in hell that man was delivering their child.

The door shut and Snow finally rediscovered her voice. "This is..." she shook her head again. "It's not possible."

"According to Rumpelstiltskin," Regina attempted to sound indignant, "it is."

In actuality, she was nervous. She hated that she cared at all but, for some reason, it seemed important to have Snow's support in this. Perhaps it was only for Emma's sake. That's what Regina would choose to believe, not that she might actually consider Snow to be a part of her little family as well.

"Yeah," Emma smirked. "Regina's got some _really_ magic fingers."

Snow held up a silencing hand to her daughter. "That is a bit more information than I needed," she cringed. "Is this why you broke up with Hook? To be with Regina?"

"No," Emma shook her head and then pointed to her belly. "This happened after. And Regina and I aren't..." she finally untangled their hands, "together."

Regina wondered if making that distinction would ever hurt any less, or if her heart would continue to break a little bit more every time it was mentioned, for the rest of their lives. She didn't have time to wallow as Snow's attention turned her way.

"So, how long have you been sleeping with my daughter?" Snow wasn't angry, hardly even accusing. She almost sounded more disappointed than anything, as if it were she that had once been forced to play mother to Regina and not the other way around. Still, Regina didn't want to upset the very new state of peace they had found between them.

"I'm not..." she stumbled to explain. "I mean, we haven't been..."

At that, Snow's eyes lit up in understanding, and somewhere inside Regina knew, she just _knew _that in that moment Snow had seen everything. The way the woman was looking at her, with surprise and realization and just a bit of sympathy, Regina was sure that Snow had figured out her secret. She prayed to god that, for once in her life, Snow White could keep her mouth shut.

"Now I see," Snow murmured astutely, turning her full attention back to Emma. "One night stands are as far as you ever go, right?"

"_Mom_!" Emma huffed petulantly.

"Honey, look, I'm not judging," Snow held up her hands in a gesture of abdication. "Alright? But someone is going to have to explain this to your father, and it certainly isn't going to be me."

"What do you suggest, then?" Regina inquired, almost certain she wouldn't like the answer.

"Dinner at our place," Snow answered cheerfully. "Tomorrow night. Or I guess," she looked at the clock, noting that it was well past midnight, "tonight technically. I'm sure you'll both be exhausted after this evening. I'll cook, and you can explain all _this_ to David."

"Fine, we'll be there," Emma accepted on behalf of both of them.

"I don't recall agreeing to this," Regina quipped.

"You are _not _making me do this by myself," Emma hissed through gritted teeth. Regina pursed her lips at Emma's annoyance. Of course she wasn't going to make her go it alone.

"Very well, then," Regina replied, smiling caustically at Snow. "We'll see you tonight."


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Sorry for the long wait on this! Hopefully you'll find it worth it lol. Thanks so much for the reviews and continued interest in this story, it really means a lot! I'll try not to wait a whole month before updating again!_

_Oh, I should also mention that this story is set POST-ELSA, but does NOT adhere to ANY season 4 canon._

_As always, huge thanks to michaelawaffles for editing!_

* * *

Regina was too tired for this. It was late, the low light in the cozy apartment making her feel all the more drowsy despite herself. Henry yawned over the video game he had retired to on the couch after supper, forcing his mother to stifle one of her own. She wished that perhaps they had invited the Charmings over to their home instead, so they might be sitting in the plush comfort of her own living room instead of the unforgiving wooden chairs of Snow White's kitchen table.

"So, you're just – what, exactly?" David asked, not taking the news particularly well, though not quite so badly as Regina anticipated. While the whole 'magical conception' thing had hardly seemed to phase him, the fact that – to his knowledge – Regina had no amorous intentions towards his daughter struck an apparent nerve. "Platonic former-enemies who happen to be living together and co-parenting their two children?"

She wondered how many times they would be forced to explain the circumstances around their daughter's conception, how many times they must denounce their relationship and justify their parenting choices to others. Regina was sure that neither were the business of anyone besides herself and Emma, yet here they were, explaining and defending for the second time in under twenty-four hours.

"I hardly think bringing up our past relationship is relevant or necessary," Regina sighed.

David looked ready to object. "She's right," Emma quickly intervened, halting his protest before he could speak. "Regina and I are… we're friends?" There was a question in the word, as if she knew it didn't quite fit but didn't know why. "And we are committed to raising our kids together. That's all that matters."

"But what about _love_?" Snow asked with a naive glimmer.

"We love our children," Regina deadpanned, deliberately obtuse. Snow was sticking her nose where it didn't belong again. There was no question whether or not playing dumb would deter her but, even so, Regina wouldn't take the bait so easily.

"You know what I mean," Snow pressed, miffed by the dismissal. "_Romance_. Don't you want someone to share your lives with?"

Now Regina understood. Snow White wasn't just sticking her nose where it didn't belong – she was meddling. Trying to goad Regina into a confession, or perhaps coax some response from her own daughter. Clearly she intended to play matchmaker, and Regina would not have that. Calling a truce was one thing. Allowing this woman to muddy her romantic affairs again was quite another.

"Not all of us have the luxury of settling down with True Love," Regina replied, pinning Snow with a cold stare that said in no uncertain terms that the topic was closing. "The children come first. As they _should._"

She couldn't help the last dig. It had always bothered her that David could be Snow's True Love as well as the 'thing she loved most'. It should have been Emma. It should have been their unborn child, baby Neal. Regina loved Emma. Her heart ached for her; perhaps it could even have been True Love if Emma felt the same. But how a mother could love anyone more than her child, Regina would never understand.

"And hey," Emma playfully broke the tension before it could take over, smiling and winking at Regina as she said, "we always have each other." Regina prayed that the blush she felt burning across her chest wouldn't creep its way up to her cheeks. Especially not in front of Snow. She would not give that woman the satisfaction.

David shook his head, far from amused as he rubbed his fingers over his temples.

"How did this even _happen_?"

* * *

**_15 Weeks Ago_**

The house was too still with no one else home. Regina had spent plenty of time living alone in the mansion but in the past few weeks that Emma and Henry had been living here, she had gotten far too used to sounds of the two scatterbrains bustling about. Flicking through the TV, rifling in the fridge for a snack, hunting helplessly for a lost shoe. Such things she would have expected to be an annoyance, a hindrance to her peace and routine. Yet, somehow, their noise had become her peace. The house was beautiful, to be sure. But it was Henry, and even Emma, who brought life and warmth to these cold, white walls and made it a home.

So now Regina sat alone on the living room couch, reading a rather dull book to quiet her mind and sipping slowly on her second glass of homemade hard cider. It helped a little to imagine Henry was asleep upstairs, though he was spending the night at his grandparents' and babysitting his Uncle Neal. She pretended that Emma, too, was due home any moment, despite knowing she was out with the pirate and could likely not be expected back this evening at all, what with it being their first full night alone.

Which is why the slamming of the front door startled her all the more. Regina was sure she had locked it, and there was absolutely no reason for Henry to come home unplanned at such a late hour, so it had to be Emma. Regina hated the way her heart pounded painfully in this moment, telling herself it was only adrenaline from her fright. Emma appeared in the doorway, and Regina's heart absolutely did not beat harder still.

"How was your _date_?" Regina quipped with a snide guise of her disdain.

"We broke up," Emma shrugged, hands shoved listlessly into her pockets. Her voice was flat, for a moment devoid of all emotion, as though only now realizing the truth of the situation. Her words were absolutely not what Regina expected to hear.

"What?" she inquired with rapt attention, forgetting to even mark her page as she closed her book. Knowing she was being incredibly selfish, Regina still found she was unable to ignore just how very much she hoped for this new development to remain a permanent state.

"Well, I broke up with him," Emma replied, relaxing her stance a bit. She strolled over to the couch and unceremoniously plopped herself down next to Regina, sighing as if the evening had depleted her of all momentum.

"Your father will be heartbroken," Regina teased. Emma snorted, propping her feet up on the coffee table and, for tonight, Regina did not bother to object. "What happened?"

"I just couldn't do it anymore," Emma groused, lolling her head back on the cushion. "I'm so god damn tired of _arguing _all the time."

"Arguing?" Regina asked with genuine curiosity. She'd have thought Hook would be bending over backwards to keep Emma happy, what with all the time he'd spent pathetically drooling over the girl before she gave in. "About what?"

Emma leaned forward, snagging Regina's unfinished drink without preamble and pouring it down her throat. "You, mostly," she said with such nonchalance that Regina was sure she must have heard incorrectly. "He was always brooding about the fact that you wouldn't let him come to the house, and that I still chose to come live here despite that instead of – well, anywhere else, I guess."

"I'm sorry, Emma." Regina sincerely had not meant to put a strain on Emma's relationship, despite her own distrust of the man. She simply didn't want such a person around her, her home, or her son. She didn't love seeing him around Emma either, but that wasn't her choice to make.

"Don't be. _This,_" Emma gestured a hand back and forth between them, "is more important. We have a kid, and if anyone else is going to be in my life they need to be able to accept you, too. Honestly, I think he was jealous." She actually giggled a little. "I mean, the slightly damaged, freshly reformed villain _does _seem to be my type," Emma winked, giving Regina unexpected butterflies. "He just... _Needs_ me so much. The only person I want to need me is Henry. I can't be the sole source of someone else's happiness. It's too much."

"At least someone would choose to be with you," Regina said without thinking, immediately regretting the statement. That was supposed to be behind them. It _was _behind them. Sure, she had lost something when Robin Hood left her for his wife. But with a little time, as the ache of rejection faded, she'd come to realize that it was the loss of what could have been that hurt the most, not the loss of what was. Mostly, she just felt alone.

"Regina..." Emma drawled, tipping her head like a sad puppy.

"Forget I said anything," Regina tried to brush it off. "I didn't mean to bring it up again."

"No, that's not what I was going to say," Emma persisted. "I was going to say– I mean, I get why Robin did what he did. I do. But," Regina was staring at her lap, too embarrassed now to make eye contact, until Emma's hand on her cheek softly beckoned her to look up, "you are a clear _first_ choice, Regina. And you deserve someone who will see that."

Her stomach somersaulted in such an excruciating way as to eradicate all rational thought. Before she'd even had a chance to hesitate, Regina launched herself forward, kissing the other woman hard and holding her tight, inhaling her greedily as if Emma was the air she needed to breathe.

Until she actually realized what she was doing, and pulled back abruptly.

"I'm sorry," Regina sputtered, both women panting heavily. "I shouldn't have done that. You were just saying these perfect things and–"

Emma's lips colliding with her own cut her off again and all Regina could do was sink into the feeling. This was a bad idea, she knew it was, but Emma was just so _soft_ – her mouth warm and malleable, her arms sturdy and secure. She felt like all the tenderness and strength Regina had always craved but never seemed to find.

Soon, she was grabbing at Emma's clothes in fistfuls, wanting to be so much closer than she ever should have gotten. Their tongues began a delicate dance, Emma's kneading and prodding and asking for all the things Regina desperately wanted to give, but knew she shouldn't. When Emma began whimpering sweetly into her mouth, Regina reluctantly pulled herself away.

"We shouldn't," she tried breathlessly. "Henry–"

"Never has to know," Emma finished for her. "It'll just be one night. Just once." She crept closer, her breath hot against Regina's aching lips. "God knows we could both use the release."

That sobered Regina up a bit, leaning back as much as her position allowed. "Did you not _just _break up with a man whose main objective for as long as you've known him was to get into your pants?"

"We never really got that far," Emma confessed, "what with chasing down the villain of the week all the time. But that doesn't matter, anyway." She leaned in again. "I want you," Emma whispered with such earnestness that it made Regina's heart roil. "Can't we just let go of everything? Just for one night? And then it never has to happen again. Just this once."

It had been so long since Regina had been with anyone in this way. Much like Emma, her last relationship had never reached that level of intimacy. It hadn't really concerned her; she was capable of taking care of herself, after all. Except now here was Emma saying she wanted her, staring at her with hopeful, shining eyes and kissing Regina in a way that stirred places inside she had long forgotten even existed.

Silently nodding her consent, Regina realized there really wasn't ever any question that she would. For a moment Emma looked surprised, like she hadn't expected that Regina might actually say yes and now wasn't quite sure how to proceed.

Biting her lip, Emma ran a thumb over Regina's warm cheek, leaning in to kiss her much more tenderly and slowly than before. It was as Emma's lips delicately and deliberately pressed against her own that Regina realized, all too late, that she wasn't just in this for the release.

Suddenly Emma was straddling her lap, peeling off her own top and then her bra, kissing and wanting – and there was a moment where Regina knew, with absolute clarity, that her desire for Emma was so much more than her body. But she had already agreed to this, to this singular night, and she didn't honestly want to take it back, anyway. If this was all she got, she would take it. Emma just felt too good.

The buttons of Regina's blouse were popped open by Emma's hurried, trembling fingers, likely losing a few in the process, though it was beyond either of them to care now. Regina's shirt was cast aside as she brought her hands up to find Emma's own soft, naked breasts, hardly able to comprehend that she had been granted permission to touch the other woman this way.

She wanted so badly to tell Emma she was beautiful, that she had never been privy to something more beautiful in her life than the trusting, vulnerable sight before her. The words begged to be released from Regina's throat, but she swallowed them down. They were having sex, she reminded herself, not making love. Such sentiments were surely unwelcome and, even were they not, they were entirely too revealing. So she occupied her restless mouth by sucking on a straining nipple, reveling in Emma's quiet, desperate gasps.

She began fumbling blindly with the button on Emma's pants, returning her lips to the girl's mouth. When at last it was unhooked and unzipped, Emma moved her feet to the ground, still gripping the back of the couch and her mouth remaining fused to Regina's. Together they pushed Emma's jeans and panties down her thighs until she was able to kick them off her feet. And, just like that, Emma Swan was completely naked in Regina's lap.

Regina grabbed Emma's hips, sinking her fingers into the pliable flesh of the woman's ass. She ran her hands over the backs of shaking thighs, over a shuddering abdomen and flexed arms – every inch of skin available to her, except the one place that would take them past the point of no return.

"Regina," Emma groaned at the hesitation. "Touch me. _Please._"

There was no way in hell she could ever deny such a plea, running her fingers down Emma's chest, her stomach, over her hips and thighs until she was creeping back up, up to the place Emma was so clearly aching for. Regina swallowed hard because this was it, this was the moment they both craved so badly, and the moment they could never come back from. Hesitating was futile, she knew, because there was never any way this wasn't going to happen. She wanted it. Emma wanted it. They were both utterly powerless to resist this tonight.

Her hand finally slipped down into wetness and back up again, Emma gasping encouragingly into her neck. No going back now, Regina thought, and it was the most coherent notion to pass through the haze of the fact that not only she was really about to fuck Emma Swan, but that she _wanted _to do it.

Regina had had plenty of sex in her life. She'd even had good sex. But it had always been about what she could take, or what could be taken from her. For the first time, she wanted nothing more than to _give. _She wanted to make Emma feel as good physically as she did in her heart right now, and while the change was terrifying, it wasn't enough to make Regina want to stop. Emma's hips were bucking gently against her fingers and soft pants of encouragement were falling from her lips and there really wasn't anything that could stop Regina from giving this woman what she wanted.

Two fingers slid in easily, Emma gasping with her head thrown back and fingernails piercing Regina's shoulders. It was entirely unreal, the idea that this amazing creature was writhing with pleasure, riding Regina's own hand. It felt hazy, like a dream, and she forced herself to focus, to be present in this moment right now, loath to forget a single detail.

The fingers inside of Emma tingled pleasantly with each gentle stroke, which was nothing if not odd. The sensation couldn't quite be described as sexual, though it sent tingles down her spine just the same, like someone gently running their nails down her back. If she'd stopped to think, she might have recognized it as some sort of magic, but right now it just felt so good, and the weight of Emma Swan settled over her body felt better still, and there wasn't time to stop and think.

Emma thrashed erratically, becoming frantic. She gasped, moaning Regina's name louder and louder and begging her not to stop. As the woman's body finally went rigid, Regina grabbed a fistful of blonde hair, pulling until she could see Emma's face. If this was never going to happen again, Regina didn't want to miss a thing. And now, she was sure the image of Emma's face twisted in ecstasy would be burned into her soul forever.

Catching her breath, a lazy, satisfied grin spread over Emma's lips, filling Regina with a sense of pride at being responsible for that smile.

"That was amazing," Emma gasped.

"Yes," Regina agreed. "It was."

The confused look Emma gave made Regina blush, realizing she had inadvertently confessed more than she'd intended to.

"I haven't even touched you yet," Emma said, sounding more cocky than confused now, leaning in seductively again. "And believe me, when I do, it will blow your mind."

"I think you're all talk," Regina teased at the woman's self-appraisal, making Emma smirk in a way that could only be described as naughty.

"What do you say we make a night of it?" Emma offered, pressing their bodies together. "Take this upstairs, let me _prove_ I can walk the walk a time... or two... or three..."

Regina had to laugh at the brazen confidence, and the fact that, somehow, on Emma it was actually quite charming.

"Ms. Swan, I accept your challenge," she replied playfully, immediately poofing them both into her bed to bypass the awkward naked journey up the stairs.

And Emma did prove herself, quite well, multiple times. Regina reveled in the sensation of Emma's hands and lips exploring her body so thoroughly. Every now and then she would catch herself wishing this never had to end, that tomorrow they could do it all again, and the day after that. But the terms had been set, and Regina forced the longing away, giving as good as she got and enjoying every moment she could.

When at last they couldn't take anymore, Emma shifted to Regina's side, one arm tossed over the woman's abdomen, blonde hair tickling Regina's chin from the head resting on her shoulder. The post-coital cuddling was certainly unexpected but Regina wasn't going to complain. Within minutes, Emma's rhythmic breathing told Regina the girl had fallen asleep in her arms. Knowing she probably hadn't meant to, Regina considered waking her up and sending her back to her own room. Then again, she doubted she'd have another opportunity to hold Emma this way again, so she turned out the light and let sleep take her as well.

In the morning, Emma was gone.

* * *

There really wasn't any tactful way to go about explaining all that to Emma's parents. David was still staring at them, his eyes alternately questioning Emma and accusing Regina, clearly fearing his not-so-little girl had been used, or some such unsavory scenario.

"People get lonely, David," Regina solemnly replied by way of explanation instead.

The look in his eyes softened, and Regina wanted to scream at the sympathy she suddenly saw there. It made her long for the days when these two idiots were her enemies, playing their constant game of cat and mouse instead of them seeing right through all her defenses and looking at her with such _compassion_. She didn't need their pity and she didn't want their "help." She would rather bare her cross alone, lick her wounds and suffer in silence.

"I see." David nodded curtly, then turned to his daughter. "And you're okay with this... arrangement? You're happy?"

"Yeah," Emma said with an earnest smile. "I know it's unconventional, but that seems to be the way things go in this family."

"As long as you are happy and safe, I will support any decision you make," David said, gently grabbing Emma's hand from across the table. "Whatever you need, we're here for you, always."

"Thanks, Dad," Emma said, and Regina heard the telltale hitch in her voice that signaled the waterworks were coming. "I, um," she swallowed hard, gesturing quickly towards the bathroom as she stood to flee, "I'll be right back."

"Did I say something wrong?" David asked, baffled by the quick departure.

"It's just hormones, honey," Snow assured him. "I'll go check on her."

"No," Regina barked a little too defensively. "This happens all the time. She doesn't like to be fussed over; just give her some space."

Snow smiled, placing a hand on Regina's shoulder. "It's really great that Emma has someone like you looking out for her." Regina knew what the woman really meant, but couldn't retaliate without confirming Snow's assumptions and outing herself as being in love with The Charmings' daughter. She was saved by the sound of a tiny wail from upstairs. "And now my _other_ baby is crying," Snow quipped as she stood and excused herself from the room.

Regina tried to catch Henry's eye across the room, hoping maybe _he_ could distract David from considering her so critically. Unfortunately, the boy was completely immersed in his game, and so the awkward silence continued.

"You should tell her," he finally said.

"Tell who what, exactly?" Regina sighed in exasperation, knowing precisely who and what he meant but refusing to play along.

"Emma," David replied with a knowing glint. "You should tell her how you feel."

"And how is it you think I feel?" she asked coldly, though the effect was diluted by her inability to meet his eye.

"You care you about her."

"Of course I care about her. She's the mother of my children."

"That's not what I mean. And you know it."

Emma emerged from the bathroom and Regina lowered her voice to a hiss, speaking quickly so Emma wouldn't hear.

"Whatever it is you _think_ you know, you don't. You and your wife would do well to stay out of my personal affairs."

David held up his hands in a subtle gesture of mock surrender just as Emma approached the table.

Regina was sure even her most evil past deeds couldn't have been enough to earn her this torture. She was eternally bound to a woman she wanted more than air but could never have. And now that woman's parents, parents whose happiness Regina had spent decades trying to destroy, not only knew her secret, but were attempting to take an active role in setting her up with their daughter. It was positively ludicrous.

"Regina, I'm exhausted," Emma whimpered, looking very much like she had run out of steam. "I think we should head home."

"Yes," Regina agreed eagerly, more than ready to be freed from this hell. "It is _absolutely_ time for us to leave."


End file.
